Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-22
CONGRESSIONAL.
Some Grave Charges Against the Com
missi0ners of the District Of Co
lumbia Made 10 the Senate.
The House Passes the Interstate Com
merce Bill and it Goes to the Presi-
dent for His Signature.
XIX CONGRESS.
THE SENATE.

Senator Colquitt, in presenting petit
ton from the Women's Christian Tenn
perance Union OF the District of CoIum-
bia, said ne assumed no responsibility for
the startling facts in the petition,
but he did answer for the pure motive
and high character of those who laid it
before the senate. The petition was bold
and aggressive, and challenged an inves-
tigation of facts. 1t was a plea which
mothers and wives made sto this body of
grave and reverend signors'' for protec-
ton. 1t charges that a house owned
by one of the commissioners is
used as the Office of the agent of the
Louisiana State Lottery, and that Frank
Hume, president of the Liquor Dealers
Association, is bondsman OF one of the
commissioners. 1t therefore prays for
thorough investigation OF the facts, and
Tor the proper enforcement of the law
and the protection of homes within the
district.
Senator Haw:ey remarked that the pc
titlon Just read was a tremendous indict-
ment and q shocking revelation. He
suggested that Senator Colquitt should
accompany it with resolution calling
for an immediate and severe investiga-
ton.
Senator Colquitt said he did non feel it
incumbent on him to make any sugges
ton to the committee. He did not doubt
that the committee would be in full sym
pathy with any movement to redress these
hcinous offenses and against such eX-
cess OF wee and laWlessness as
should not only alarm, but humiliate the
senate. They could never disregard the
voice of women raised in behalf of social
Il I +1,,
the petition be read at length and referred
to the district committee. The petition
was read. Il charges the com
missiouers Of the District of Co.
Iumbia with disregarding the purity,
safety and moral interests and rights
of the people, asserts that in direct viola
ton Of the law they have been for months
past permitting and protecting gambling
nails, pool rooms, drinking establish
ments, as well as dens OF prostitution and
vice, and giving numerous particulars,
and would suggest proper measures Of
redress.
Senator ingalls,, chairman Of the dis
trict committee, said the allegations pre-
scented il the petition had long gaged
the attention of the committee. There
was no doubt Of very great viola
ton, not only of the law, but
OF moral and social order in con-
nection with these transactions. Licenses
had been granted in violation Of statutory
provisions, but in order that the senate
and country might understand that the
district committee had neither been OBJ
livious nor reglectful of these mat
&ars, he felt it his duty to
call stteution to the fact that on
February 4, 1886, he had introduced
bill regulating The sale of distilled and
fermented liquors in the district, and that
on the l9gh of the same month that bill
had been reported by the committee and
had subsequently passed the senate.
That bill was now before commit
tee of the house. If the other
branch of congress had been as
diligent as the senate one great
cause of complaint, as set forth il the pc
tition, would have been removed. The
bill was read at length; it requires q
liquor license fee Of $500.
Senator Platt said that while be regarded
the high license law as proper he prefer
red prohiOitory Law, and he had intended
to off prohibitory law as a substitute
for the bill, but mad been unavoidably abb
sent on account of sickness when that
bill was before the senate. The petition
was then referred to the committee on
the District of Columbia.
Senator Brown offered q resolution
which was adopted, requesting the presi- |
dent 10 communicate to the senate copies |
of all correspondence with the government
of Mexico in regard to the seizure and |
sale of the American schooner Rebecca, |
in the port of TampicO; also copies of all
correspondence between the state depart |
ment and late Minister jackson, with |
Mr.. Jackson's letter to the president on
the subject of his resignation.
The senate then went into secret ses-
sion and when the doors reopened ad-
journed till Monday.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l.-After the read
ing of the journal the speaker stated that
the regular order was the vote upon the
adoption of the conference report on the
Interstate pmmerce bill.
Mr.. Butterworth of Ohio asked the
unanimous consent to have separate
vote on The fourth section, and Mr..
Weaver of Iowa asked to have separate
vote on the commission feature, but Mr..
Crisp of Georgia objected to both re-
quests.
Mr.. Durham of Illinois moved to re-
COilhll IuS Jill " lLS wv SOihihii1- |
tee, and Mr.. Crisp raised point Of order
against that motion.
The speaker knew of no rule which au
thorized the recommittal of the confer
ence report, and sustained the point of
order. d
Mr.. O'Neill of Pennsylvania inquiredf
whether there was any parliamentary
proceeding by which those gentlemen who
were embarrassed by having TO vote for
or against an important bill without hav-
ing an opportunity to divest ii of its OBJ
jectionable features, could be relieved OF
that embarrassment; but no suggestion
TO that end was made, and vote was
taken on adopting the conference report.
1t was agreed to, yeas 2l0, nays IL.
Those voting in the negative were:
Messrs. Allen of Massachusetts, Ander-
son of Ohio, Bliss, Boutelle, Boyle,
Bragg, Brumm, Campbell of OHIO, Cas-
well, Dibble, Ely, Evans, FELTON,, Findlay,
Gay, Giifillap, Grosvenor, Hay
den, Hill, Johnson OF New York, Kelly,
ketcham, Llbbey, Long, Markham, Mar
tin, McKenna, Miller, Morrow, Oates,
O'Neill of Pennsylvania, O'Neill of Mis-
souri,, Ranney, Reed of Maine, Rice, Sey-
mour, Wadsworth, Waite, Weaver of
Iowa, and White of Pennsylvania.
The bill after beng enrolled was signed
by the presiding officers Ct the two
houses to be sent to the president for his